To have kids or to not have kids?

Written by: Julie Stuckenschneider 

I think it is safe to say everyone would agree we are living in challenging times. With all the violence, arguing, lock downs, closed schools, open borders and everything else going on we could easily say the world has gone mad. During these unprecedented times with what seems like no hope in sight one if not all of us may ask ourselves why would we want to bring children into this mess?

In a sense, I was one of those people.

My husband and I welcomed a beautiful baby girl in 2018. She has been and is the best thing that has happened to us. When everything seemed to take a turn for the worst, I became fearful of her future and what she would be growing up in. Not only that, but did I want to bring another child into this world too? I really let it bother me.

Thankfully, a friend put it in perspective for me. He told me I shouldn’t be scared for her and my future children. Rather, I should to focus on raising her and my future children with good morals, values and faith. We need to keep having children with these ideals in mind to help change the world. After our conversation I seen a post on social media and read a Bible study reiterating the same concept.

The social media post, written by Alex Cravens, the Youth Pastor at Butterfield Church in Russellville, Arkansas explains why we shouldn’t fear having children in a crazy world.
 

    Don’t feel sorry for or fear for your kids because the world they are going to grow up in is not what it used to be.

    God created them and called them for the exact moment in time that they’re in.

    Their life wasn’t a coincidence or an accident.

    Raise them up to know the power they walk in as children of God.

    Train them up in the authority of His Word.

    Teach them to walk in faith knowing that God is in control.

    Empower them to know they can change the world.

    Don’t teach them to be fearful and disheartened by the state of the world but hopeful that they can do something about it.

    Every person in all of history has been placed in the time that they were in because of God’s sovereign plan. He knew Daniel could handle the lion’s den.

    He knew David could handle Goliath.

    He knew Esther could handle Haman.

    He knew Peter could handle persecution.

    He knows that your child can handle whatever challenge they face in their life.

    He created them specifically for it!

    Don’t be scared for your children, but be honored that God chose you to parent the generation that is facing the biggest challenges of our lifetime.

    Rise up to the challenge.

    Raise Daniels, Davids, Esthers, and Peters!

    God isn’t scratching His head wondering what He’s going to do with this mess of a world.

    He has an army He’s raising up to drive back the darkness and make Him known all over the earth.

    Don’t let your fear steal the greatness God placed in them.

    I know it’s hard to imagine them as anything besides our sweet little babies, and we just want to protect them from anything that could ever be hard on them, but they were born for such a time as this.

    Just some thoughts from a dad who is rocking his sleeping baby and thinking about what a crazy day it has been in our country.

Don’t worry about the world our children are going to grow up in. God created them for this exact time and moment they are in and to raise them up to know the power they walk in as a child of God. We should teach them to walk in faith knowing that God is in control. And instead of teaching them to be fearful of the current state of the world, teach them to be hopeful that they can change it. Just like God placed David in his time because He knew he could beat Goliath and Esther in her time because she could beat Haman. He is placing our children in this time because He knows they are meant for the world in this state and that when equipped with the power of Christ they can make a difference.

Fear of the future can be a reason someone may consider abortion. Options United was created to help these women find comfort and help during those challenging times. The call centers at OU pray with these women and gently help them choose life for their child. This in has helped lead these women to Christ as well. Just like God created David and Esther for their times, He helped individuals be lead to create Options United to help women all over choose life and have faith their child was created for this exact moment in life as well.